The head of a political foe of Lougheed's PC's — Liberal leader Dr. Raj Sherman — said Friday that the political icon had foresight in many areas, including health care.

"A professional athlete, Lougheed understood the important role of prevention and wellness," he said, referring to Lougheed's stint as a professional football player.

"Thanks to his initiatives, Albertans received improved access to world-class publicly funded and delivered health care."

Just before Lougheed died, his successor as premier, Don Getty, was emotional about the loss, both on a personal and political level.

"My wife and I fell in love with Peter, in a way," said Getty, who recalled the times the families spent together during a turbulent era.

"It's heartbreaking."

Getty said he's most proud of Lougheed for standing up for Alberta during constitutional battles, and also for bolstering his country.

"We had a champion ... we were dealing with oil and gas and petro-chemicals and those are the things we used to strengthen Alberta and Canada," said Getty.

In rare praise for a premier from a union, Alberta Federation of Labour President Gil McGowan credited Lougheed as a champion of all citizens rather than only big business — a philosophy the AFL head said has retreated.

"He remained engaged and outspoken in the affairs of our province, I think, because he saw Alberta's potential as more than just the success of a few industries, or short-lived booms and busts," said McGowan.